“Slash.” Hawk covers his crotch with both hands. Everyone around us, except Hawk, laughs.
“Have a drink, Snow.” Ky pulls me onto his lap and pushes the shot glass my way. I shoot it without a second thought. It’s still disgusting. “Good girl.” He kisses my neck.
I try to calm down, I really do. But Hawk airing all my dirty laundry is making me homicidal. “I’m going to say this one last time. What you read in that file was a manifestation of things that happened in my past. Post-traumatic stress from my abusive father. I am not proud of it, but I have worked fucking hard to escape the shadow of that emotional trauma. And I am not going to let you use what happened to me back then as a scapegoat for what’s happening now.”
“I’m not going to let him do that either. Hawk is just doing his job,” Ky tries to play mediator.
“And what job would that be? Grade-A asshole?”
“He has been known to wear that patch,” one of the other guys who was at my house this morning chimes in. I don’t know anyone’s names except I’ve-got-a-hard-on-to-ruin-your-lifeHawk.
“He definitely needs to get laid more,” another adds.
“Will you two shut the fuck up?” Hawk snaps.
“Sucks when someone gangs up on you,” I sneer.
“All right, enough. This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Ky puts the kibosh on the all the bickering. “Hawk, look into any stolen Challengers in the area. Maybe that will be a lead.”
Hawk nods. “I’m ten steps ahead of you.”
“Good.” Ky stands, sliding me gently off his lap. He drinks the last shot, then slams the glass upside-down on the creaky worn wood. “I’m taking Kira home to rest. If anything pops up, call me.”
“I have one more question for Kira,” Hawk delays our departure.
“What now?” I cross my arms.
“Your mom, she’s a pretty high-profile figure, right?”
“You could say that. Where are you going with this?” I eye him suspiciously.
“Has she had any issues with anyone? A crazy fan? A jealous business partner?”
“No, everyone loves my mother. The only person she’s ever had an issue with is my piece-of-shit father.”
“We’re already looking into him.” Hawk scratches his stubbly chin. “That lead seems cold, though.”
“I still think it’s time to go to the police.” I offer my opinion on the matter.
“Hawk pretty much is the police,” Ky informs me. “If anyone can snuff out who it is, he can. He has access to all their resources.”
“Please forgive me if my faith is tested when it comes to his abilities.” I’m obstinate.
“You two will learn to get along, eventually.” Ky is confident.
Glad someone is.
Ky bumps fists with the three men around us. Then one of them holds his fist up to me. I touch my knuckles to his. “I’m Vet, by the way. And that’s Breaker.” His tone is mild, same as it was this morning when he suggested Dahlia’s salon.
“Nice to formally meet you.” I try for polite.
“You need anything, we’re here. We protect the Prez and his ol’ lady.”
I grimace at the name. He called Dahlia that, too, and she was nowhere near old.
“That’s enough talk of ol’ ladies,” Ky interjects. “Kira and I have some stuff to hash out.”
Do we ever. “No thanks to Hawk,” I mutter irritably under my breath.
